American TV borrowing from hit shows overseas

What happened to good old-fashioned American creativity?

I don't watch much TV, but when I do now I find that most of the shows we're enjoying originated somewhere else.

I realize a little overlap might occur here and there, but dear lord, there are tons of them. "The Office," "Whose Line is it Anyway?" and "Who Wants To Be a Millionaire?" all originated in the U.K. Several television programs are being scouted from other countries.

NBC's new undertaking, "Kath and Kim," was a hit in Australia with the same storyline and name. Friday night's new show on CBS, "The Ex-List" started as "Mythological Ex" in Isreal.

I'm all for a little inspiration, but flat-out copying the storyline? I might watch, and I'll probably enjoy.

But I've lost a little faith in the television writers of America. They went on strike for how many months to get better pay/benefits/respect and then they pitch remakes of foreign sitcoms. I guess they took that time to watch some British TV.

Even our popular reality TV programs, trying to show American life, started by showing life somewhere else. Britain had talent first. Japan was the original sight of "Most Extreme Elimination" and "The Hole" where a person tries to contort their body to fit through a hole cut in a giant wall that moves closer to them and moves them closer to a pool if they can't get through "The Hole."

As a viewer — with suspension of all ties to reality — I stare at the screen, waiting for the next outburst on "Big Brother," the next terrible act on "American Idol," the next ridiculous obstacle on MXE.

As a writer, I roll my eyes and suppress the urge to vomit when I think about the staging of the shows and the idiotic things these otherwise normal people do just for screen time.

And as a viewer, I feel just a little cheated at getting the world's sloppy seconds on the air waves.